R
by Cpt. Acid Trip and Ms. Sweet T
Summary: AU "Naruto dreamt of leaving the village. He wasn't sure what he felt towards the village. Resentment. Reproach. Regret. Whatever it was, Naruto wasn't content being another orphan boy in the village. He wanted something more out of life, like those stories of the Legendary Jiraiya and his ilk." No confirmed pairings and no character bashing. R&R.
1. Chapter I

[**R**]

Chapter I: Muddy Waters

He was the only child in the room. The others had left the sleeping quarters to play with the others. His head lay on the cold glass, watching the rain pelt the window and watching a stray dog that he had become accustomed to seeing roll around in the large puddles appearing the courtyard of the orphanage. Naruto wanted to play with the other children, but he was never in the mood when the weather became dreary like today. The rain was a sign that children were forced to remain indoors. That dog would be without a companion today.

There wasn't much to dislike about the orphanage. His caretakers were stern with him, but they were stern with all the children and emphasized learning proper etiquette and speech. They were told that they wouldn't always have the orphanage to cling onto and that someday they would all leave this place. It was not a nice thing to tell them all, but that was the truth and the truth of the world was rather harsh. They were given a scarce amount of food though, as the destruction from the Kyuubi had ravaged the village and created a surplus of orphans. It was not the fault of the orphanage that the budget for food had been low for these past few years, but the scarcity of basic necessities made living in the orphanage an uncomfortable experience.

Naruto was grateful, though, that the caretakers were obliging enough to allow the children to travel into the city. They were not overly protective to think that the children should be confined to the walls of the orphanage like the most harmless prisoners ever seen. They did however require that the children be accompanied by one of the older kids, so as to not get lost or kidnapped or worse. That wouldn't bode well for the orphanage if word got out that they were being negligent. Not that it mattered to Naruto. He didn't feel like ever going into the village. Maybe it was because he was just another dirty orphan in tattered clothing, but the village ignored him like he was another street urchin. He figured his disheveled appearance is reason enough for parents to pull their children away from playing with him.

He also wasn't one to stay friends with the other children at the orphanage either. The older ones would eventually leave the orphanage, seeking an apprenticeship with one of the various trades found in the market and there were the younger children who were adopted. This left Naruto in the middle of the pack, not quite young enough to be adopted and not quite old enough to stake his claim to a place in this world. There were few his age and the few that he befriended would get unexpectedly adopted the moment he was happy with them.

There was also the fact that he grew resentful of the ones that did get adopted. Naruto was not considerably adorable like the younger toddlers and infants, nor was he a girl. The girls were taken more frequently than the boys, more often than not. He didn't understand why, but that was generally an observation he had made. Naruto was scrawny and small for his age. In a ninja village where orphans are sometimes adopted by shinobi parents, these traits were considered undesirable.

The rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon. The dog was still out there and Naruto was still on the other side of the window. That dog and the caretakers were the only constants that Naruto had come to know. It was always out there, probably waiting for one of the children like Naruto to sneak him snacks that they hid away or to play with to rid the loneliness of being out on his own.

There was one thing that Naruto did look forward to today. The Sandaime was going to make an appearance at the orphanage. He was late, but Naruto guessed that with his busy schedule and the rain they should expect him to be a little late. He didn't personally know the aged kage, but Naruto enjoyed his periodic visits to the orphanage. There was also the rare chance that the kage would sponsor them attending the academy. It didn't happen often, but there were a few children who left because the Sandaime saw potential in them as future shinobi.

They remained in the orphanage during their tenure of the academy, but there were privileges allowed to them that weren't available to a normal orphan. An academy student was freely allowed to come and go from the orphanage so long as they come back before supper. They were allowed to go into the market, under the impression that they are more readily qualified to protect themselves than the others. And then there was the ability to leave the orphanage once you become a shinobi. Once you become a ninja of the Leaf, you are considered an adult.

This isn't to say that his visit would guarantee Naruto would even be considered. But he liked to cling to that sliver of hope of leaving the orphanage. Even if the Sandaime didn't sponsor him, Naruto enjoyed having him visit. There was a kindness to the old man that wasn't present in his other interactions with people around the village. Naruto didn't feel so alone in the world when the kage came to talk to each of the children. As soon as his came, he would be gone though, thought Naruto bitterly. The dog had fled. A party of umbrellas appeared near the front gate of the orphanage.

"Naruto! Sister Aya says to come to the front. The Sandaime is here!"

Naruto didn't turn his head to see who was talking. All the orphans eventually looked like a blur to him. Here today, gone tomorrow. That was a creed that he had known since he had been here. Naruto sat up from the window and headed towards the bathroom. He quickly washed his face, making sure that he was absolutely presentable to the hokage. He then walked to the front of the orphanage, waiting with bated breath for the hokage.

"Hokage-sama, it's always a pleasure for you to visit us. For a moment I had thought that you wouldn't come."

Sister Aya was the youngest of the caretakers. She was a former kunoichi who had felt an obligation to the orphanage. She was one of the few orphans who had been sponsored by the Sandaime when she was very young. The Kyuubi attack had taken place in her second year as a young, fifteen year old, promising chuunin. Aya had left the ninja life behind to give back to the orphanage that had raised her.

There was some speculation amongst the older caretakers that with her potential, that she would've no doubt become a jounin. This would never be known, but the former kunoichi was a pleasant enough person to have at the orphanage. Whilst the other caretakers treated the orphans with such indifference that showed how long they had been there, Aya was clearly enthusiastic with raising the children. She was also not above teaching the children basic tenets about being a shinobi or basic combat techniques. It stopped there however, as she explained that teaching them any further was something she was vehemently against unless they were academy students.

"Of course I have time for the orphanage. I never renege on an appointment," smiled the elderly kage, "and if I may be so bold, Sister Aya. Would you still not considering returning to active ninja duties?"

"I apologize, Hokage-sama. My place is here with the children. One day, I may leave this place, but that won't be anytime soon. Nor will I return to being a ninja. That part of my life is over and I'm content with that."

There was nothing that special to the visits. Usually, the hokage would exchange pleasantries with each of the children and then talk a little with the caretakers about both trivial matters and important affairs regarding the orphanage. If the kids were lucky, the kage would show them a flashy technique to amuse them. The rain, however, put any hope of that away.

Naruto never knew why the old ninja had taken a particularly keen liking to him, but Naruto guessed that with him being in the orphanage longer than most of the others it may have to do with the familiarity the kage felt that wasn't present in the ever changing rotation of children he saw there. Not that he was talked to him that more than any of the other children, but he felt a certain connection with the kage that was absent with the other children.

He hid in the back of everyone, trying not to make himself stand out. It was childish, but Naruto's mood was greatly affected by the rain and he did not want to talk to the kage. There was always a little hope that the kage would announce that he'd sponsor Naruto, but the gloomy weather pushed forward negative thoughts to the forefront of his mind. The thought that the hokage might declare him unfit to ever be ninja due to his small stature was something he was prepared to hear.

"Ah! Naruto, come here child. I did not see you there. For a moment, I had thought that someone had adopted you."

"No Hokage-sama, I'm still here as always."

"That might change in the future, my boy."

Naruto did not know what to think of those words. They were a mystery to him. Did the hokage imply that he was adopting him or that he was sponsoring him. There was a lot of ways to interpret what the hokage had said. Maybe he meant that he was being transferred to another orphanage. That was always a possibility and that possibility didn't make Naruto feel any better.

It was stranger, the hokage had said no more than that and moved on. Usually the hokage was more talkative with him, but today was apparently different. Naruto felt special that the hokage had talked to him longer than the others. Now he wasn't sure what to think. He wouldn't even qualify this as a conversation as Naruto had barely said anything at all. It wasn't that Naruto was feeling especially talkative either, but he was prepared to at least have some semblance of a conversation with the hokage.

The hokage had quickly moved through the children and immediately motioned for Sister Aya to follow him into another room. The hokage's guards remained with the children. There was a shared feeling of intimidation amongst the children as they stared at the expressionless masks of the anbu ninjas. Naruto couldn't make direct eye contact with them. He felt that the shinobi were staring straight through him. Not that that was true, for all they know the ninjas could have had their eyes closed.

It was a very brief conversation and the hokage had already decided to leave. He gave everyone a small smile before wordlessly departing with his personal guards. It was a strange occurrence considering the kindly old man had usually made a point to say goodbye to all the children before he left. This was a much more concise meeting than his usual visits. The hokage looked like he was here specifically for a reason.

"Naruto... May I speak with you?" asked Sister Aya.

* * *

He layed on his cot staring up at the ceiling. There was no way to describe the happiness he felt about being sponsored. Naruto could proudly proclaim to the rest of his peers that he was amongst them. Sister Aya had explained to him that there was a unique quality to his chakra that made him a perfect candidate to be sponsored by the Sandaime. Naruto didn't understand what she was talking about, since he never even considered anything about him as special.

"Naruto?"

"Sister Aya! I'm sorry, I'm not asleep yet. It's just... can you believe it!? I'm going to be a ninja!"

"You still have to graduate from the academy, Naruto. And you can't become a strong ninja if you keep staying up late."

"I know... but before I go to bed. Can you tell me another story of the Sannin?"

"Why are you always so interested in the Sannin, Naruto?"

"They're impossibly strong! No one messes with them and they are known to everyone!"

"What about Sandaime-sama? He's arguably stronger than the Sannin right now and from his reputation he was certainly stronger than those three in his younger years."

"But I don't want to be hokage. I want to be a legendary shinobi. Someone that's so strong, the hokage has no choice but to leave me on my own."

"Leave on your own?"

"Yeah, like Jiraiya-sama or Tsunade-sama. I want to be able to be strong enough to be trusted to come and go from this village as I please. Then no one can look down on me for being an orphan."

Naruto was no longer looking at Sister Aya and his words trailed off into a whisper as he stared straight at the ceiling. Sister Aya understood the motives behind Naruto's declaration. It was a simple meaning, that though Naruto claimed Konoha as his home, he never felt like an explicit part of the village. It was hard enough for an orphan to identify with the village as it is, but Naruto's burden of being a jinchuuriki made him slightly more isolated than the average orphan. What he mistook as a dichotomy of classes between himself and those outside of the orphanage, was actually a cautious alienation between a jinchuuriki and the general populace. She surmised that though Naruto wanted to become a great ninja, he also wanted to distance himself from the village as they had with him.

Aya sympathized with Naruto. Sure, she had lost friends and teammates during the Kyuubi's rampage, but as a shinobi she had the utmost faith in the seal that had the late Yondaime had created. Though there was still a bit of irrational resentment that Aya held against Naruto for keeping the bijuu alive, she remained professional in both her duties as a caretaker and also a former shinobi. Naruto was still a child and for all intents and purposes, she treated him as if he was just a child. There was no empirical evidence that suggested that Naruto was anything but that.

"Will you leave the village forever like Tsunade-sama then, Naruto?"

There was a pregnant pause where Naruto legitimately pondered the question. It was a little disconcerting that there was a child who dreamt of leaving his home forever at the young age of seven. Aya would not blame him nor would she admonish him for abandoning the village if that's what his decision came to be. She knew that he'd never be allowed to leave the village. All historical instances of jinchuuriki show that the villages prize the jinchuuriki as potential weapons and even if they don't train them, they are too much of a danger if another village were to obtain the bijuu from the jinchuuriki. Not that she would ever tell Naruto that.

"Maybe...but I'll come visit you Sister Aya! You and Teuchi-san from Ichiraku's."

She only responded to that with a kind smile. She felt a little guilty that she couldn't distinguish the anger and anguish she felt towards the Kyuubi and Naruto. He was just a boy, but he was also a constant reminder to what the village had lost and what she had lost as well. Maybe in the future, she would be able to forgive Naruto. Forgive was the wrong word choice as Naruto had done nothing wrong to forgive other than exist as a reminder for that painful time. Seven years was a long time, but the wounds of the Kyuubi attack were still fresh in Aya's mind. She presumed that leaving the ninja life behind would allow her to forget the death that surrounded her that day. If pressed, she would admit that her caring for the children was a selfish desire to feel an emotional connection with other humans. She also thought that being around Naruto and nurturing him into a well adjusted person was a service to the village.

"I'd like that Naruto. Anyways, what story would you like me to tell you?"

"I don't know, just tell me what the Sannin were like as genin."

"From what I'm told, the Sannin were all prodigies. When Sandaime-sama started training them when they were barely six years old. It's impressive by any regard, but to be so young and already genin during peace time."

"I'm already behind them then," frowned Naruto.

"You could say that, but I'd like to think that Sandaime-sama made the wise choice in raising the age limit for graduating students."

"But I've heard that their are still kids that are graduating as young as I am!"

"That hasn't been true for many years, Naruto. The last student to become a genin before the age of 10 was Itachi Uchiha and he was an exception, due to Third Shinobi War breaking out. Konoha was desperate to replenish the genin that we lost from being ambushed."

"I'm sorry, Sister Aya... but can you use smaller words?"

"I apologize, Naruto," smiled Aya.

"Anyways, go on with the story!"

"Perhaps another time Naruto, it's getting really late. Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

"Aww, but why? The academy isn't back in session for another month," pouted Naruto.

"You weren't the only reason Sandaime-sama stopped by the orphanage today. He has a major announcement to make and he wants everyone to be there tomorrow," explained Aya, "Besides, these are going to be a very busy few months for you. If you're getting sponsored, we'll have to get your paperwork in order and I'll have to call Sasaki-san from the hospital to give you a proper physical."

Naruto pouted at that. He wasn't so vain to think that the hokage would come to the orphanage only to announce that he was going to sponsor Naruto, but he was not a fan of going to the hospital for any reason. Since the orphanage wasn't prioritized as a major concern for the hospital as opposed to the shinobi of the village, they were usually given care by civilian staff members who were less qualified in their medical studies. Naruto was also afraid of the needles. The civilian nurses were always a little too rough with his treatment, which is why Naruto preferred to avoid going to the hospital at all costs.

"I don't like the hospital. They always miss the first two times when they inject me with something."

"Don't be like that Naruto, they're trying their best and it would be better if you didn't move so much."

"But why can't I get checked up by the medic nin?"

"The medic nin have to handle more important matters Naruto. You're still considered a civilian until you start attending the academy, so you'll just have to make due. Anyways, goodnight Naruto."

"G'night Sister Aya."

* * *

"Good afternoon everyone. I'm glad you could all attend. Today, I have an important announcement to make."

Naruto couldn't see, but he could hear the hokage's voice over sea of people. The event had no shortage of highly respected clans in attendance. Naruto only recognized several of the clans in attendance, such as the Uchiha, the Hyuuga, and the Yamanaka clan.

Other than those clans, Naruto wasn't able to distinguish the differences of the other clans based on their physical features of clan symbols. There was also the problem that being a civilian member of the crowd relegated him to the back and him being short presented an even more annoying nuisance.

"As you all know. Seven years ago, our village was attacked and nearly destroyed by the bijuu known as the Kyuubi."

There was an intense silence that overcame the crowd at the mention of the beast. Naruto could almost feel the contempt from behind him, but he wasn't quite sure if it was directed at him specifically or if it was just a general feeling. He turned his head to see a man staring in the direction of the hokage with his teeth gritted enraged. It was no doubt that the hokage's words were still a sore subject for most people in the crowd, especially those that suffered the heaviest losses during the early hours of the Kyuubi's attack.

"During that time, we unfortunately lost the Yondaime. A young, bright man with a vision for the future. Someone who was going to lead this village into a new age of peace. With his loss, I was forced to resume the mantle of hokage. But I am getting on in my years and I have decided that I will soon be stepping down as the hokage." It was clear that the audience did not expect that at all. The hokage paused in his speech to allow this new information to sink in to the audience.

"Do not fear. Though I leave my position behind, I have already selected a successor. My successor will not assume my position until I deem him ready for it, but rest assured that he will be fully capable of handling the duties of the hokage under my tutelage. Now, let me introduce you to the future hokage for whom I shall be personally grooming."

A small figure walked to the forefront, revealing a mask typically reserved for Anbu. Though intimidating, the figure was easily identified to be a young child, not much older than a normal genin. The boy removed his mask and from beneath the mask came a familiar face. Itachi Uchiha, the child prodigy and known around Konoha as one the greatest shinobi produced in his current generation despite his young age. The Sandaime placed a gentle hand on Itachi's shoulder and said something only audible to the young boy.

"Most of you know me from several years ago as a promising young child rising through the ranks at unprecedented speed. Those of you might know me as the pride of the Uchiha and others might know me as their aloof teammate that they've barely had a chance to speak to. I haven't been the easiest person to talk to and I apologize for that, but I assure you that I have nothing but the best interest of the village in mind. My name is Itachi Uchiha, I was born during the Third Shinobi War, and during the Kyuubi attack I was relegated to keeping my younger brother safe. In those two instances, I was powerless to protect the people around me and no matter what I did, there was this lingering feeling of death surrounding me. With my reign as the Godaime, there shall be no meaningless war and no meaningless death."

"I trust that everyone will support Itachi as I will guide him to become the greatest hokage that Konoha has ever produced."

* * *

**Cpt. AT**: This is a new story that's been floating around my head for awhile and before you continue on and read this, I want to note that there will be a lot of differences from canon. These changes will range from being minor to some having larger implications towards the story progressing forward. There are only three changes that I will inform you readers without having to spoil any future chapters. I'm also going to be very conservatives about the use of Japanese suffixes.

*Naruto's hair color will be changed to a strawberry blonde so that the connection between him and the Fourth is not blatantly obvious, but also to maintain a connection with his mom. I've never understood the amount of characters that didn't address him looking similar to the late kage since Naruto's appearance is sort of an anomaly considering the lack of blonde characters in Konoha.

*The second change is that Naruto will remain in the orphanage, since the idea of having Naruto remain on his own and surviving sounds like an awful idea to begin with. I know college aged students that have a difficult time being responsible enough on their own and expecting a child orphan to be able to do so is a little ridiculous.

*The last change I can tell you is that the reactions of the village to Naruto won't be of outright hate towards him like in some fanfictions. I really dislike the idea of blatant outrage, when considering the Third specifically made a law regarding that and I'd like to think the idea of being executed would temper some of their more outspoken actions as well.

And that's my first chapter to this experimental story. I haven't had a lot of experience with writing out stories, but this one is one that I'm excited to be writing. This will probably be the slowest progressing story that I'm currently working on, but it's the one that will have the most character building involved. The idea of having Itachi as a hokage has always fascinated me, considering his full background story in the manga/anime has always placed him as the quintessential ideal candidate for a hokage. He's selfless, a pacifist, but will do anything necessary for the sake of peace.

As for Naruto, the story will still be highly focused on him, however, I still want to take advantage of the wide cast of characters that the Naruto universe offers and most likely offer other characters a more expanded role in this story than they originally did in canon. Some characters might have their roles reduced and there are many major events that you will see in the future that get changed due to other events having preventing them or changing them for the better... or worse. I don't pander my story around the idea that every event causes a positive event.

I hope you enjoy the story, please read and review. I'll happily accept constructive criticism and will work harder in future chapters if you are displease.


	2. Chapter II

[**R**]

Chapter II: My Brother, My Clan

Hiruzen shifted in his seat, gazing upon the future in front of him. There was a boldness in the lack of response the young boy in front of him had, but beyond that there was an ever thinking mind present in his gaze. A boy that had only been a child for a few moments of his life and thrust into the world of adults by the time most children were beginning to read. The room was silent save for the sound of Hiruzen's pipe clicking against his teeth. This was his heir to the kage mantle, Itachi Uchiha.

"That was a fairly concise speech you gave out there. I imagine the nobles will find themselves hard pressed to talk to you."

He had no other meaning in those words. It was merely small talk to break the silence of the room. Though the boy was fearless in the face of combat, he was a tad bit underdeveloped in regards to his social abilities. Child prodigies always had a difficult time conversing with their peers as they were usually younger than those who shared the same rank.

Often times the age gap was significant as was the case with Hatake, who proved inexperienced when dealing with others when promoted to jounin. Itachi was of the same ilk, having been cast into a team of older shinobi and then forced to lead men much more experienced than him. It was admirable that Itachi had accepted the position as Anbu captain from Hatake.

"I only needed them to know who I am and what my own personal goal as kage would be. How can you lead people if they do not know where you want to lead them?"

"Certainly, I did not mean to cast aspersion. Merely an observation that I've made. The daimyo has a tendency for long conversations over tea."

"I apologize Sandaime-sama, I'll practice on my speech etiquette in the future."

He was certainly an excellent shinobi and every avenue for his skills would be of use as the leader of the village. Hiruzen had long considered a bevy of successors, but none of them carried the raw potential that Itachi displayed. Whilst incredibly powerful, there was no unnecessary sacrifices and risks that Itachi would pursue if he could help it. He was a master tactician and despite his young age, was well read on both current and past events of not only Konoha but the many nations, villages, and countries. Hiruzen applauded the mental strength that Itachi held despite his young age. A witness to war, tragedy, and forced to sink into the abyss of the shinobi life, the boy still held an idealistic view of pacifism.

"You need not worry, Itachi. I have faith that you will make a fine hokage."

It was minute, but Hiruzen could see the self-doubt creep into Itachi's eyes. He suppose the pressure of being the hokage's successor was rather great and heavily weighed on Itachi's shoulders, but there were extenuating circumstances that made his appointment as successor that much more stressful than when any of the other kage's had to deal with. Itachi was the bridge between the Uchiha and the village. He was the product of appeasement to placate the Uchiha clan from turning against Konoha. A boy no older than thirteen bearing the weight of his entire clan and village on his shoulders. Quite a burden to carry for someone so young.

"What... what if I fail?"

His voice was so small, that it reminded Hiruzen of Itachi's age. It was uncharacteristically unlike the usually calm Uchiha. This was the same shinobi that was prepared to slaughter his clan for the sake of his village. The same shinobi who didn't flinch concerning a mission that required him to obtain the body of a deceased child stolen from the village and destroy it.

"No one is ever prepared to become a kage. This much is true of all kages that I have known. I was not an ideal hokage when I began. History may not have shown, but the more suitable candidate was my rival Danzo Shimura. When we were both just young ninja during the war, he and I were of equal footing. Though I'd admit that in a bout between us two back then, he was more likely to beat me. Of course, he views this differently and feels as though he was always slightly behind me. My strength as a shinobi was not established until I was firmly in place as the Sandaime."

"Why wasn't Danzo chosen to be the hokage if he was stronger than you?"

"Strength alone isn't what determines the qualities of a hokage. Certainly you must be of reputable strength to obtain candidacy, however, the hokage isn't just the strongest shinobi in the village but the leader. A kage must be able to prioritize the village before everything else and can not be feint of heart nor waver in their beliefs. That is the difference between you and Danzo. He has long since been a proponent of doing whatever it takes to maintain peace within the village, but when it came to making the necessary sacrifice... he wavered. That difference between him flinching and him deciding to follow through is the difference between maintaining peace and that peace being destroyed. You do not waver in what you find necessary. You were issued a mission to eliminate your clan and prevent a civil war from breaking out and you accepted the mission without hesitation."

"But I held my reservations about the mission. I was unsure of whether or not I could go through with it, but I couldn't allow another war to break out."

"I could sense that you were troubled, but you were thoroughly prepared to do what was right for the village and not what was fair to your clan. That is why I believe you are the ideal successor. Someone who doesn't just do what's right for peace, but will question whether the decision he's made is the best one available."

The two remained in silence for a long time. Hiruzen wanted to let the information presented to Itachi digest for moment. The plight of the successor was always much easier to bear with a guiding hand. Just as he had done many years ago with Minato, Hiruzen was here to guide and groom Itachi into becoming a great leader. Where the first three kages had no one to rely on, this new generation would not have to shoulder all the responsibilities of being a leader alone. He was there to pass on his wisdom to the next generation rather than letting death claim him first as the Shodaime and Nidaime before him.

* * *

This was everything he wanted, but he just couldn't enjoy the day anymore. Sister Aya had dragged him all along the village to get him ready for the academy. They had spoken with one of the teachers at the academy about him taking remedial courses over the summer and after school to catch him up to the other kids. Though most children were only in their second year of the academy, Naruto would most likely struggle if not for him taking remedial courses. Then, she had taken him to get clothes that were more conducive to being a ninja and the library to borrow books to help him. She kept emphasizing that a ninja must always be prepared.

Now he sat in the orphanage at a desk, being lectured by Sister Aya about the theory about chakra. It didn't help that he had no idea what half the words she was saying were, but that the other children were outside enjoying the sunny day. Naruto tapped his pencil against the table as he stared out the window, watching as some of the other children were splashing around in the puddles and chasing the stray dog.

"Naruto! Pay attention, this is important."

"I'm sorry Sister Aya," he said with his gaze still upon the window.

Aya saw the vacant look in Naruto's eyes and knew that telling him to pay attention was not going to make him pay attention. She needed to reach out to him and make him understand that she was there for his benefit. She pulled up a chair and sat next to him. His eyes were mainly focused on the other children outside, unfocused on the task at hand. Aya placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto, you always wanted to be a ninja right?"

"Of course, Sister Aya."

"I'm going to be honest then Naruto, it's a long and hard road to become a ninja. It's hard for civilian families to support a child and it's even more difficult for people like us to make it. I know that you don't want to study this and it may seem boring, but please understand that I'm doing this for you. When the other sisters talk about how I was as a child, they always mention that I was a bright girl, but they don't tell you that I struggled every year that I was in the academy."

At this Naruto looked up at Aya. It was known by the whole orphanage that Aya was the pride of the orphanage, being the most accomplished person to have come from there. Other orphans before and after her had become ninja as well, but Aya was the one that showed the most promise as a genin and later as a respectable chuunin. The fact that the Sandaime had repeatedly asked if she would consider coming back to active duty spoke volumes about her capabilities even after seven years of being inactive. It was always assumed that she breezed through the academy like it was nothing.

"When I arrived at the academy, most of the other kids were already much more advanced than me. Kids from both major and minor clans were at an advantage already and civilian families that already knew that their child wanted to attend prepared them in advance for it. There was no one at the orphanage that could help me and no one that was prepared to spend that much attention on one kid. I'm not saying that I'm playing favorites at all Naruto, but I just don't want to see you struggle like I had."

"Is that why you're spending so much time with me, Sister Aya?"

"For the most part. The others think I'm the best suited to handle this and I think they don't want you burning yourself out in the academy. Sponsored children aren't always guaranteed to succeed and that's especially true when the hokage himself is the sponsor. It's a lot of pressure, Naruto. You're also a unique situation in that you're already a year behind from where I was when I began at the academy."

"I've... never thought of that before. Now I'm kind of scared."

"I don't mean to scare you. I just wanted you to know that you should be taking this seriously."

"You'll be here to help me, right?"

"Of course! You're no longer a little boy once you become a ninja and I want you to know that I'll be proud of you whether or not you become a legend."

"Thanks, Sister Aya," smiled Naruto.

Amongst all the tragedy that Aya had suffered in the past, amongst all the things she had cursed and screamed into the nights about the terrible bijuu that rattled the village, amongst all the bias she had towards the others, Naruto was still one her own. His childhood was forfeit and he belonged to the village now.

* * *

There was a light thud that could be heard outside. More light thuds could be heard in rapid succession, but Itachi did not bother to glance towards the direction of the sound, knowing full well that it was his little brother Sasuke training with his cousin and best friend, Shisui. Instead, Itachi was focused on his father's gaze right across from him. His mother sat next to him, a delighted look gracing her face. He knew this moment was coming, there was no avoiding it and he had neglected to tell his father nor the clan elders that he would become the successor to the Sandaime. His father had stared at him, contemplating what to say to him.

"You knew of the coup," he finally spoke.

"Yes, father."

"Is there a reason you neglected to mention that the Sandaime had spoken to you about being the hokage?"

"I apologize father, I didn't think it prudent to tell you of this yet."

Itachi had bowed his head. He didn't really have any reason to keep his appointment a secret. He supposed that it was a force of habit to keep things hidden. It was a bad habit of his to hold his tongue at clan meetings and he truly disliked to announce anything out of fear of him speaking being considered a slight on the clan elders. He figured it was best to let the clan find out in a way that could not be misinterpreted. It was this paranoia that was often quoted as both his greatest trait and his most terrible flaw as a ninja.

"Raise your head Itachi, a kage should not prostrate himself to someone like me."

He raised his head to find his father smiling at him. Itachi had rarely seen his father smile. The clan head was a stern man, who rarely shared his emotions with his son. It was a trait that they both shared with one another. Sasuke was more similar to their mother as his little brother was prone to emotional outbursts and was much livelier and cheerful than him. His father stood up, walking towards the window. The moonlight graced his rugged features, softening his typically hard features.

"I've always held you in high regard, Itachi. You are the pride of the Uchiha, the future of this clan. There was a lot of faith placed in you to lead the clan out of this isolation imposed by the Senju. To think that you would be such an exceptional enough shinobi that the Sandaime would recognize an Uchiha as someone worthy enough to replace him."

"Father..."

"As clan head, I witnessed our clan become alienated from the village. Our territory relocated to the fringes of the village and given a position meaningless to the village. Our diminishing reputation was unbecoming of us and there was a moment where I had thought that the coup was our only course of action. I could no longer sit idly by as the village pushed us further away and as such I heeded the words of the elders. Tell me Itachi, did you accept Danzo-sama's mission?"

The elder Uchiha had kept an even tone, but the surprise was evident across Itachi's face. He had been unaware that the clan head had known about the mission given to him by Danzo. His mother still looked at him with that carefree smile, unfazed by what his father had just said.

"How did you..."

"Do not seem so surprised, Itachi. We live in a shinobi village, there was bound to be some suspicion on hokage's part and it's no surprise that they would choose you to execute this mission. You are the most capable shinobi they have."

"And you would have allowed this to go on? Knowing that I would've been the one to destroy the clan?"

"I'm not saying that we would have gone down without any resistance, but I would've have been content in knowing that the one to have destroyed the Uchiha clan was the very pride of the Uchiha clan."

Fugaku turned to his son, a proud smile on his face. A single tear had managed to escape from Itachi. His father had just admitted that he was fully expecting his son to face him, sword in hand, and be dealt a blow that would end his life.

"I feared before that you lacked the ambition to become a kage. You were a prodigy, but you were always a soft spoken child. You neither clamored against the elders, nor did you raise questions. I held you in high enough regard that the clan elders did nothing as you received scroll after scroll about preventing our coup."

"You had known all along? And you said nothing of it?"

"What could I have said? To arrest my own son or murder him in cold blood for the sake of a coup that would spell the end of our clan. A coup in which prolonging the proud nature of our clan was a futile nature in of itself? Was I to force you into striving to be a kage? You wouldn't have become a kage without the ambition to do so."

"The elders knew of it as well. Did that mean you were all prepared to die by my hand, father?"

"As I said earlier, it would be a most fitting end to our clan. Your meetings with the Sandaime, how did the promise of you becoming his successor come about?"

"He had taken me aside after discussing my mission from Danzo-sama. The Sandaime had respected my quick decision making and he suspected that I would no doubt have succeeded. But he had asked if I was willing to place the village above my family. I already had, is what I told him. He was against destroying the clan and saw us as an integral part of the village. I don't know why I had said it, but I had told him that I wanted to be the hokage. To protect my village, to protect my clan, to protect the future, and to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. Sandaime-sama supported my ambition and he said that he'd expect me to keep that promise of peace."

"I will speak to the elders of this. I suspect that they won't resist the idea of calling of the coup now that you have been appointed the successor of the Sandaime."

There was no goodbye, it was common form of dismissal for Uchiha amongst their sons and daughters. His mother had given him a small nod as if to acknowledge that the conversation was over. She was a rarity among the typically stiff clan. Itachi had smiled and bowed his head before taking his leave.

* * *

He enjoyed the freedom that the break had allowed him. There was no need to bury his head in a book, he was free to his heart's content. His hands were unusually small, even for a child his age and he was forced to compensate for the lack of manual dexterity by adjusting his grip around the kunai. The only frustrating part was that though this made his throws much stronger than if he were to use a proper grip, the accuracy and precision of his throws were greatly diminished. He clicked his tongue against his teeth in frustration as another kunai of his embedded itself on the arm of the training target set up in the yard, well off it's mark.

"You'll get into a habit of holding your kunai like that if you keep training that way, Sasuke."

"Shisui-nii!" Sasuke exclaimed as he turned around to spot his cousin crouched over banister, smirking back at him. The older Uchiha walked up to his cousin and grabbed his hands.

"You should have your fingers properly spaced like this and your thumb should be opposite of your index, sort of like you're pinching it."

"But if I do it like this, they won't stick," pouted Sasuke.

"There's no need to rush this, Sasuke. Eventually, you'll be strong enough to make them go through that stupid dummy. Just worry about doing it right and being on your mark, everything else will fall in place."

"But... You and nii-san are already so much stronger. Nii-san is going to be the hokage and I've heard the elders debate about whether nii-san is stronger or if you're stronger. I'm still in the academy and I don't even have my sharingan yet."

Shisui and Itachi had truly been prodigies, even by the impossibly high standards of the Uchiha. The cousins had been the closest of friends since their academy days and were it not for his inability to lead, Shisui would've been promoted as an Anbu captain as Itachi had. Similar in their ideologies, it was surprising that the cousins differed greatly on the battlefield. Whereas Itachi favored genjutsu and minimalist attacks, Shisui was more straight forward, utilizing his impressive speed, superior taijutsu skills, with a penchant for overpowering his opponents with ninjutsu.

Shisui could see how Sasuke would feel inferior compared to the two. At Sasuke's age, Itachi was well into his first year as a genin with Shisui following suit the next year. Sasuke was also considered a late bloomer in regards to unlocking his sharingan as most Uchiha children had no difficulties unlocking it by the time they were in the academy. Sighing, Shisui put a hand on his little cousin's shoulder.

"Sasuke, don't fret over things like this. You're still young with your entire career to become strong. Just enjoy your time now. You'll regret missing out on your youth if you spend all your time training."

"That doesn't really make me feel much better," mumbled Sasuke as he picked up his kunai.

"Anyways, go inside you little brat. I'm sure your mom is waiting for you with supper," smiled Shisui as he tussled Sasuke's hair.

He watched as his cousin ran back inside, neglecting to pick up any of the kunai embedded into the training dummy. He walked over and slowly pulled each one out. Shisui chuckled to himself as he looked at the haphazard handiwork of his cousin. Even if he hadn't killed the dummy, he certainly maimed each and every one of the dummy's limbs.

"Enjoying yourself there, Shunshin no Shisui"

A chill came up from behind Shisui. He had recognized the voice. It was the same voice that he had heard after he had informed the hokage of the impending coup d'tat that the Uchiha were planning. It was also the same voice that followed him after Itachi had been assigned a mission from Danzo. He didn't want wish it to be true and he had hoped that he was just imagining the voice.

"Are you going to ignore your predecessor like that? I would think the Uchiha clan would be proud of their rich history."

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?"

"Not even going to turn around?"

"Why would I turn around for someone that's not real?"

"Oh, I'm very real. Just as real as I was the first time we met and just as real now."

He was still, his eyes furrowed in concentration. Shisui had thought of throwing the kunai in his hand, but he was unsure whether or not it was wise when considering the man the voice had been claiming to be. He thought it better to do so however. Shisui turned his head to face the voice to see a figure hunched over in an orange mask. He concentrated chakra into his eyes, revealing his sharingan with a pattern reminescent of a four point pinwheel.

"Ah, excellent. So you've decided to reveal that mangekyo of yours. I'm glad you see me as the potential danger that I am, but you many years too young to be challenging me with those eyes of yours."

The figure craned his neck to the side, his arms folded in front of him. He walked towards the young Uchiha with no regard for the imminent threat that Shisui posed. A kunai found itself lodged in front of the ground in front of him.

"I would advise you to stay away from me... Madara."

"So you finally acknowledge me. I find it amusing that you think you can threaten me."

"I didn't want to believe that was you that day, but it really is you. Why are you here? Answer me!"

"You might want to lower your voice, young Uchiha. We wouldn't want to drag anyone out here, now would we." The former clan head crouched to the ground and picked up the kunai in front of him. He rested his chin on his hands.

"To answer your question. I'm here... in need of an Uchiha of great potential." The masked man's words were slow and deliberate. His actions making Shisui nervous as he wasn't sure if Madara had meant him harm or if the crazed Uchiha was here to cause harm to the clan. Madara stood back up to his full height. He walked towards the younger Uchiha and circled around him. Shisui didn't make any sudden moves, unsure if it was wise to oppose Madara at this point. The man was not the least bit concerned over his mangekyo.

"There's no Uchiha here that would aid you, Madara."

"Aid me? I don't need help, I need of someone with eyes of great hate and power. You see, I've been biding my time waiting for the Uchiha to realize they needed to rebel against the village. Everything was going perfectly. Soon, there would have been a battlefield to where I can exact my revenge. I would sneak in and destroy the clan that had long abandoned me, but you had prevented that."

"The clan didn't abandon you, you abandoned the clan."

"That's not how I see it. They left me on my own and denied my very existence. I was a blemish to their precious name."

"You were power hungry and were driving our clan to the brink of extinction."

"I was saving the clan!" growled the ancient Uchiha.

"... Shisui-nii?" Shisui turned his head to see his little cousin, behind him and confused.

"Sasuke! Go back inside, get help!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." Sasuke had turned around to run back inside only to come face to face with the masked man. He fell onto his back, terrified of what was happening.

"Is this Itachi's otouto? He'll make a fine Uchiha." Madara's hands reached out to grab the young boy, but was forced to jump back as Shisui appeared between the two.

"Sasuke, run and get help. Don't worry about him, I'll protect you."

"Quite a lie you're telling the boy, but how will you be able to protect him if you're burnt to a crisp? _Amaterasu_!"

A black flame arose from the eye hole of the masked Madara. Shisui had prepared to dodge the flames, but found it odd that he had easily evaded the harsh flames. It was then that Shisui had noticed that the flames were not directed at him at all and that they were directed at the retreating form of his little cousin.

"Sasuke!"

* * *

**Cpt. AT**: I wanted as much as possible to avoid writing all the boring montage of Naruto learning how to do anything of relevance, so I decided to shift the focus on the Uchiha since at this point of time Naruto is still just getting ready for the academy while there's a lot of development happening on the side of the Uchiha. I'm not going to dedicate entire arcs around them, however, if that's what the ending to this chapter implies. This is still very much a Naruto-centric story and events that take place during Naruto's formative years are going to be highlighted if Naruto isn't doing anything of note.


	3. Chapter III

[**R**]

Chapter III: Aftermath

Beads of sweat pooled over his brow as Naruto dutifully poured over every stance that he had learned over the course of the last few weeks. His motions were not as fluid as Aya had shown him. He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction as he felt his stance was too wide during his rotation. His eyes shifted towards Sister Aya and saw her with her arms crossed with a stern look on her face. His breath was haggard and his appearance disheveled, with the moon gleaming off his glistening sweat. With limbs heavy with fatigue, Naruto resumed his training. There was no room for error for him given his status as a civilian endorsed by the hokage to enter the academy and there was no way that he would squander the opportunity that Sister Aya had presented him. It was long past the curfew, but given the permission of the orphanage, they had allowed Naruto to go out at night with Sister Aya for these impromptu training sessions.

Aya was a very accommodating, but strict taskmaster. She also knew that Naruto would not settle for anything less than perfection before moving on to the next lesson. It was an observation she had made when the strawberry blonde was learning to write a few years ago. She supposed it was an admirable trait, but it made it much harder to teach him new material when he was hellbent on mastering what little he was shown. It's why he was still going over basic tanto katas.

While normally academy students wouldn't delve into weapons training into at least their third year, Naruto was an exception. At least she made him the exception. His first semester at the academy went relatively under the radar, as Naruto's meek nature didn't allow him to socialize with his peers nor did it make him stand out particularly in class. He had a fair grasp on the book knowledge given that she had been largely influential in his education during his formative years at the academy, but during the basic physicals, Naruto ranked toward the lower tier of the class. Not that he was significantly worse, but his upbringing wasn't conducive to ninja conditioning. To make matters worse, he was small along with a short reach relative to his height.

Aya was worried since the projection from his medical physicals have him remaining on the smaller end of the spectrum and the most generous of growth spurts still has him below average in terms of height. The academy standard taijutsu was all that he should learn as Naruto just wasn't suited to be the type of ninja to devolve fights and battles into brawls.

Her solution was to have Naruto pick up kenjutsu. Aya wasn't sure how Naruto would take the news that he simply wasn't suited for certain modes of combat. It was an honest evaluation in her opinion that it wasn't in his best interest to be too highly involved with close combat unless necessary, but kenjutsu allowed him to compensate for his shortcomings. Telling a child that they couldn't do something due to physical limitations could also cripple their confidence. There was that thought creeped into her mind as she debated for weeks about coming to Naruto about this. But towards the end of his first year, she could already see how discouraged the boy was in his performance during the physical classes and decided that he was better off knowing. She did not expect him to whole heartedly agree to her suggestion to pick up the seldom used art.

Kenjutsu, though useful, was not a highly sought after art. Most shinobi knew the basics of kenjutsu and Anbu rarely resorted to using their wakizashi outside of assassinations, but true kenjutsu masters were few in Konoha. It was more of an art mastered by those in the Mist and the samurai of the Land of Iron. She herself was not adept at kenjutsu as the former kunoichi had felt that a sword was not fluid nor fast enough for a shinobi, but she knew enough to guide a genin level shinobi and that was enough of a start for Naruto so long as he remains diligent in his studies.

She was rather surprised when Naruto selected a tanto as his sword of choice. It was significantly smaller than any of the other swords that it might as well have been a dagger, but the small size and light metal made it the perfect choice for Naruto. Due to it's already small size, there was no need to adjust the length of the blade. The point of him learning kenjutsu was to overcome his short reach and this accomplished that without having to sacrifice much speed. The only issue she had was that the weapon's short length also posed a problem when facing another adept kenjutsu user with a longer sword. She supposed that it wasn't too much of an issue so long as Naruto didn't blindly resort to direct combat.

The first few weeks was quite the struggle for the poor boy, however, as his arm had failed to fully hold the tanto for long periods of time without becoming fatigued. Aya didn't want Naruto to focus strictly on kenjutsu while slacking in other areas either. She instilled a light training regiment for the boy to augment his poor conditioning. It wasn't too intensive on building muscle mass as Aya had warned Naruto that gaining muscle a lot of muscle at such a young age would be detrimental to his overall growth and limit his flexibility. They were basic exercises to increase his stamina so that he wouldn't tire so easily. Other times, she would forgo his usual kenjutsu lessons to work on his weaker areas such as projectiles and chakra control. There was no telling what kind of shinobi Naruto was going to be and Aya wanted him to be as well rounded before he reached his third or fourth year. By then, some of the top tier academy students would have already decided on what kind of shinobi they were to become.

She also made it a habit to run Naruto into the ground before certain practice sessions to simulate fatigue during an actual fight and to train Naruto to maintain his form through adversity. The boy was resilient and though he had a bad habit of clicking his tongue when he was dissatisfied with something, of which Aya has yet to break him out of, he refused to quit despite her prodding to end training sessions early. It made her quite proud, something akin to a parental bond, to see her charge progress slowly but surely. Naruto was not going to be a rookie of the year candidate, not by a long shot, but his determination, resiliency, and penchant for learning made him an ideal genin.

"We should probably head back Naruto. It's getting late and we can pick this up tomorrow."

"Not yet, Sister Aya. It's still off."

"You'll get the hang of it, don't worry, but you won't be able to do it over night. It takes time for your body to commit something to memory."

It was one more day until Naruto would return back to the academy and Aya had felt it was in his best interest that Naruto rest his body while he focus on the review material. His training for this week would be a lot lighter than he anticipated, but she couldn't exactly have the boy fall behind in that aspect while focusing solely on the physical aspects.

Aya smiled as the boy waved off what she said and went through the kata one last time. His form was obviously getting better, though his swing was a bit wide and his elbows far too low for her liking, but he was progressing fairly well for an academy student with only a month of training under his belt. He certainly had a talent for the art, despite not progressing past the most basic of forms.

Naruto clicked his tongue once he had finished and looked over to see Aya already grabbing his backpack. He sheathed his tanto and handed it over to her. She had told him that while he can train with it, he couldn't keep it until he became a full fledged shinobi. Until then, he would have to settle formerly practicing with it and he was content with that. He whistled a small tune as he held Aya's hand as they walked home.

* * *

He watched with bated breath as he watched his young successor pour over scrolls furiously. The Uchiha prodigy wasn't one to show much emotion, but Sarutobi could tell that the boy was distraught over his cousin Shisui. The other prodigious Uchiha had not yet been ready to return to active duty per orders from the hospital even after several months had passed by. He was much more responsive, but was forced to undergo a rigorous rehabilitation process that's left the Uchiha unable to assume his duties in Anbu.

"Quite busy for someone that has not yet assumed the mantle. You seem to have something on your mind, Itachi." The boy didn't look up from his desk as he scribbled into a scroll.

"Just thinking about enacting an educational reform once I become the hokage, sir. I'm going over the casualties reports and one of the few things that keeps reoccurring is a lack of fundamentals as a cause of death."

"While that may be true, that isn't what I'm talking about."

The scribbling stopped.

Dead silence consumed the room as Itachi sat frozen in space. His eyebrows furrowed minutely, but the aged kage took notice. The gesture was a loud sign that the boy was clearly affected by the recent events.

"How?"

The question hung in the air without an answer, though Sarutobi knew the eventual question, he need not bother answering it. He figured it was prudent that his young charge be allowed to vent, for he had shut out everyone.

"How am I supposed to protect the village, if I can't even protect those close to me? I'm expected to be the best ninja in this village and, in my own home, my best friend is attacked. He's laying in a hospital bed right now without his left arm because I couldn't be there to help him!"

The aged kage steeled himself for this, for he knew that this was a delicate time for the boy. This was a ninja that was about to succeed him as the highest ranking ninja in the village. This was also a young boy no older than 13, that had just found out his best friend and cousin had been hospitalized.

"As you may know Itachi, this is our profession. You, yourself, have bore witnessed to the worst of mankind and seen comrades fall in the line of duty. Family members distraught over the loss of sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters. But this is something a kage must bear. To witness countless others fall and some of those may even be close friends, but you must not despair. I prefer to look at our job as not only being the protector and leader of this village, but as someone that minimizes the amount of casualties we have."

"I'm not off to a very good start, Sandaime-sama."

"You are off to a better start than many other kages before you, my boy. You are not at war with another nation, civil strife hasn't torn the village apart, and this attack was not publicized despite it being the perfect opportunity for another village to showcase our lackadaisical security to other potential clients."

"That's an overly optimistic view of the situation, Sandaime-sama."

"But there is truth in these words. It is a rare situation that you are in Itachi. Most successors are thrust into this position, whilst you are instead being groomed for it. There was never going to be a smooth transition. I believe in you, Itachi. I didn't choose you for your intellect and tact alone. If mental fortitude and strength were the only qualities that I considered, I would have chosen the Shikaku-san. Your heart bleeds for this village. Though he is your best friend, I'm almost convinced that you would share the same frustrations should a green genin were to be attacked."

"..."

"I think you should take the next few days off, Itachi. Go home, tend to your family. I believe your brother begins classes again tomorrow. You need not worry about being kage yet."

Itachi absorbed all that he heard from Sarutobi and looked up from the scrolls. Sarutobi could see the weariness in the boy's eyes. Sleep deprivation was a common affliction amongst older shinobi, many of whom were affected by the things they have seen. In all his years of active duty, he had never seen Itachi so fatigued. It was a rare sight indeed, which was why a temporary leave could do the boy some good.

"Thank you," whispered Itachi as he closed the door behind him.

"You sent for us, Hiruzen." Two figures emerged from the shadows from behind Sarutobi.

"Homura, what is the status from the investigation?"

"Danzo's group has uncovered that there was residual chakra around the Uchiha compound, suggesting a powerful genjutsu was used. It's probable that is why the Uchiha's clan guards were unable to identify anything helpful about the attack."

"Koharu, what of the medical reports on Shisui Uchiha?"

"The boy is doing well, though his mental state is still a little questionable. While he is conscious of his surroundings currently, his mind is still in shock due to both mental and physical trauma. It's strange that there are those that can affect an Uchiha as praised as Shisui."

"The lacerations on his arms suggest self-amputation. His left arm was also considered unrecoverable, but ashes were found at the compound. This means that whatever jutsu the attacker was using was strong enough that the user either largely had an affinity for fire or a kekkei genkai. Koharu, you said that the boy's mental state was questionable. Elaborate further on this."

"The boy is unable to recall events of that night in full and their are pieces of information that don't quite fit with the scene of the attack. Whatever the boy witnessed, it's possible that the jutsu he was afflicted with made it difficult for him to differentiate the genjutsu from what had happened that night."

"What are you thinking, Hiruzen?"

"... Nothing. We need to tighten security around the village, but we can't allow it to become public knowledge that we're on alert. "

* * *

He had taken a long detour to reassess the situation he had suddenly found himself. Itachi idly stroked the hair of his little brother as he slept on his lap. It was a little disconcerting that the boy had little recollection of the night and that the true nature of Shisui's injuries would have to be withheld from the child.

There was no reason to place undue stress on his brother, not when his father had informed Itachi that Sasuke was to replace him as clan heir, a decision made by the elders with the express desire of withholding to village tradition of keeping the duties of kage and clan head separate.

What this meant was that Sasuke would suddenly get his father's full attention in regards to his training, something that had began tonight. It wasn't that Sasuke couldn't handle the pressures of being clan heir, the boy was even elated to find out that he would be getting groomed to become clan head, but Itachi had hoped he could keep his little brother from becoming a full fledged shinobi just a little bit longer. It was a completely selfish desire to see his brother's childhood safe that brought about these thoughts.

"He's not a prodigy like you are, but he has an earnestness that is admirable in an heir. He'll become a fine clan head, should his resolve not stray."

His father wasn't quite an exceptional shinobi by Uchiha standards, having married his mother and becoming clan head by proxy, but he was still a man that always managed to surprise Itachi. One of the only people in this village that can openly stalk and sneak up on experienced trackers and doujutsu users, the most notable trait that defined the soon to be former clan head was his inherent stealth. It was a little unnerving that even now, the man was still capable of sneaking up on him despite retiring from active duty after the Kyuubi's attack.

"One day, you'll have to teach me how to do that."

Itachi had meant that to be a joke, but his monotone voice and tempered emotion may have came across as completely serious.

"I shall keep that a secret to myself. I'd like to keep at least one trick up my sleeve, _Godaime_-sama," said his father cheekily.

Truly, it was a bit eerie to hear his father joke around with him as if they were on equal ground and not that of clan head and clan heir.

"Do you sense it, Itachi?"

He didn't respond. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be sensing. All he could see was his father looking out into the courtyard and motioning for him to come near.

"Of course you don't, you're probably unused to it."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Even in these troubled times, there is a lack of tension in the clan. You've never had a moment in your life where the clan was at peace with the village and right now, you're experiencing that. I understand if you are concerned over your cousin, but he will rise again. That boy is a strong one, I have little doubt that this is nothing but a mere minor setback."

"I couldn't do anything."

"... Do not see it as your failure, Itachi. Shisui had engaged in combat with the express desire of protecting the clan from a threat and more importantly from protecting his little cousin from certain death. The events aren't quite clear, but he was up against a formidable foe and though he lost his arm in that battle he had came out of it alive."

"If I was here, Shisui wouldn't have had to lose his arm!"

"Or you may have lost your own. We cannot predict the future Itachi, instead of dwelling on his loss, just be glad that he is alive."

There was a long silence as both father and son looked at the moon rising high above the compound.

"Take your brother to bed, he has class tomorrow."

"Of course... thank you, father."

* * *

Naruto tugged at his hair, a nervous tick that he had built from his years of self-imposed isolation. He didn't like crowds and as such did not feel comfortable during the few minutes before class when everyone was bombarding the room. It's why he had elected to go to class early to pick a spot in the back where he would go unnoticed. But that did nothing to placate the claustrophobic feeling he got whenever he was near the others. Muffled beyond that nervous wreck was a sort of anxious feeling. Naruto had spent his entire off time to catch himself up to the rest of the class and was certain that he'd fair much better than he had in his first year where he had struggled to even keep up with the Akimichi when the class was forced to run laps.

From the back he sat. Observing the others as Naruto was wont to do. His eyes picked out various clan members, many of whom probably had no idea that he was one of their classmates. If he had hazard a guess, they probably didn't acknowledge his presence. And why should they? Not only was he just a commoner with an unknown name, but he was an orphan.

Though he did not necessarily go out to remember names, Naruto kept it in his mind to remember each face and personality in class. These were his future teammates and he wanted to get along with them, but his crippling insecurities had prevented him from communicating with the others. Sister Aya had told him that his future teammates would be based on his performance in class but also with those that are complimentary to him.

It was far too early for him to be thinking of teams as everyone was still relatively on even ground. The only ones that were preordained to become teammates were the clan heirs and heiresses. There was already a historical precedence for most of the clan members to be assigned as team members. It didn't stop Naruto from studying the habits of those in his class. He had nothing else to do, no one to talk to anyways, and it helped passed the time.

In the front of the class was a boy, boisterously proclaiming his greatness to the Inuzuka. Shaggy brown hair, a half lidded gaze that displayed a care free and laid back personality, and a smirk that was so self-assured of his abilities. Naruto did not remember the boy's name. He was the polar opposite of Naruto and, though Naruto would hate to admit it, it reflected in his performance in the class too as the boy was one of the top students despite not belonging to a clan. The Inuzuka ribbed the boy about him being as slothful as the Nara.

Towards the windows was a group of girls. In the center of them was the Yamanaka. Naruto had a vague memory of who the girl was, but not from class. Sister Aya had frequented the Yamanaka's flower shop and Naruto would occasionally tag along with her. He had met the girl there, working with her mother at the shop. She was unlike how she was in class as she was more soft spoken and polite, but in the academy Naruto had known her to be brash and loud. Her friends were similar to her, a girl with purple hair with an asymmetrical cut and a trendy outfit, a shorter brunette with a bob and colorful choice in socks, and a raven haired girl with lengthy hair that protruded a haughty attitude.

His gaze wandered over to the door behind him as a late student had arrived. Naruto recognized him as the Uchiha. The boy's semester was cut short by a month by an unknown incident, though he could see that the Uchiha was fine all things considered. The boy was beaming, clearly glad to be back in the academy, and he was already settling in with the others. Naruto didn't want to admit it, but he was a tad envious of the Uchiha's ability to socialize without putting in any effort.

Sasuke, that was the name that he had remembered. Though he didn't particularly set out to learn his name, the boy's name had frequently come up as he was largely the most impressive academy student. The incident that caused him to go missing for the last month of the semester also firmly ingrained his name into Naruto's mind as his classmates would frequently bring him up.

"Ne, sorry but do you think I can sit here? I'm a bit late."

Broken out of his reverie, Naruto froze for a few seconds. He had opened his mouth to respond, but was unable to come up with anything. He bit his lip and just nodded curtly as he moved aside to allow the Uchiha to sit next to him.

"I'm Sasuke, take care of me," smiled the raven haired boy.

* * *

Capt. AT: Hey! I'm alive everyone! Didn't think I'd want to continue this especially with the way the manga had eventually devolved into the nonsense that was the final story arc. But then I got some motivation by thinking that I can completely go a different direction than the manga did because this is my story and I don't have to follow the manga at all. Anyways, this was heavy on Itachi again, but don't worry as the intro arc is starting to stray away from him and leaning towards the academy students once again.

If you noticed that I spent an inordinate amount of time on Naruto's training, it's because I wanted to emphasize that though he is getting extra help from Aya it'd be the equivalent of a student going into remedial courses as he has far less conditioning than the others. I already have teams already set, but you'll have to wait until the future chapters before the big reveal.

As a side note, half the reason that I have very little dialogue for Naruto is more due to how little practice he has with socializing and figured it'd be best to keep his personality more grounded with that of an introverted person. Not that being an introverted person makes someone incapable of handling conversations, but opening up to relative strangers must be a hard prospect for an orphan who had little interest in building bonds with those in the orphanage.

Anyways, let's hope my next update doesn't take another few years!

Please R&amp;R :)


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